Government plans new measures to enhance powers to suspend and cancel passports

The federal government will have enhanced powers to suspend passports at short notice to stem the flow of young Australians joining the Islamist rebellions in Syria and Iraq, under legislation expected to be put to Parliament shortly.

The reforms, which have strong support in the counter-terrorism community and from government, will plug a security gap at Australia’s borders that is being exploited by scores of would-be jihadists.

Counter-terrorism sources have said the measure would see passports suspended for 48 hours, and possibly for up to a week, if a person was suspected of planning to travel to Syria, Iraq and other “hot spots”.

The interim suspension - which could apply to both Australian and foreign passports - will allow ASIO to undertake a more thorough security assessment, leading to a possible permanent cancellation of the passport.

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In addition, counter-terrorism authorities will encourage family members, respected community members and clerics to counsel the traveller on mainstream Islamic values while their passport is suspended.

The aim is twofold - to dissuade the young person from travelling and, more broadly, begin a program of counter-radicalisation, especially if the passport ends up permanently cancelled.

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“We don’t want to deal with people who are planning an attack in Australia because we have cancelled their passport,” said one security source.

The vast bulk of Australians travelling to the Syria and Iraq conflict are under the age of 25. For example, Adam Dahman - the Melbourne man who became a suicide bomber in Iraq - was just 17 years old when he left Australia.

Attorney-General George Brandis said on the weekend that “wicked and evil” terrorist recruiters “prey upon vulnerable young men - they are almost always young men”.

“They are encouraged to believe a particularly radical form of Islamic ideology. They are encouraged to believe there is some kind of romance in self-destruction,” he said.

“We are determined to do everything we can to thwart them.”

Revoking passports is a key strategy to stop the exodus of Australians to the Middle East conflict zones, amid concerns that jihadists who return to Australia could launch terrorist attacks here.

More than 50 passports have been cancelled due to adverse security assessments in the past two years.

More people are being stopped, but many escape the dragnet and the number of Australians fighting in the Middle East is growing. Some 150 Australians are believed to be in Syria and Iraq assisting Islamists, with about 60 reckoned to be frontline fighters.

Under the changes, ASIO, and possibly the Australian Federal Police, would have the power to make a rapid fire call to the Minister for Foreign Affairs to temporarily revoke a passport, even if ASIO has not completed a security assessment on the individual.

Under the current regime, a full assessment from ASIO must be considered by the Minister for Foreign Affairs before a passport is cancelled, generally for an unlimited duration.

The young age of most of those heading to Syria and Iraq means ASIO and other agencies often have scant information about them, and sometimes have none.

In a review of counter-terrorism laws earlier this year, the independent national security legislation monitor Bret Walker SC said the introduction of interim passport suspensions “would strengthen ASIO’s operational agility”.

“This would include circumstances where ASIO becomes aware at short notice of security dimensions to an individual’s imminent travel or receive no intelligence warning that an individual of security concern intends to travel overseas.”

The changes are part of a suite of measures, which include giving the authorities the explicit power to revoke a passport if the person is suspected of financing terrorism, and of joining a foreign conflict, not just for terrorism reasons.

The government is also weighing whether it can revoke the Australian passports of dual nationals fighting abroad, although this is yet to be finalised and is proving problematic to implement given Australia’s obligations under UN treaties.

The passport reforms are expected to be presented to Parliament when it resumes in late August and September.